This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire series features Orbi, Dubai an interactive visitor centre. Orbi was conceptualised to offer an amazing digital experience to its visitors and the entire space revolves around interactive technology. The space is designed for people of all generations and different walks of life to share the fascination with nature. Orbi Dubai fuses BBC Earth’s world-renowned Natural History content with SEGA’s innovation and plunges visitors into the heart of the natural world! From the heat of the Dubai desert, visitors can experience the chilling temperatures of Mount Kenya at -25°C. This multi-part experience takes the guest who dares, into freezing Polar environments where they experience the sensation of Antarctic cold and blizzard conditions. The space is equipped with real time thermal image of guests as they react to the freezing Polar conditions, all displayed on a monitor.
Company: Bluehaus Group
Project: Orbi
Project Location: Dubai, UAE
To create an interactive, multi-sensory and educational virtual wildlife park for people of all generations. BBC Earth’s world-leading nature content was teamed with SEGA’s cutting edge technology to plunge visitors into the heart of the natural world and Bluehaus Group were briefed to develop the interior design and MEP engineering design to suit and integrate all technology to create an experience that replicates the reality of being among nature. This technology includes laser projected images and videos, a sophisticated 22 point sound system with 3D soundscapes, scent technology, wind, fog, strobe lighting and vibrations.
What inspired the design of the Project?
Nature! All elements within the design were developed to emulate the natural environment as closely as possible. Furniture pieces, such as organic-shaped benches, and carpet designs were bespoke.
What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?
One of the toughest hurdles to solve was the air distribution such that it does not interfere with the effects (fog) and fire alarm such that neither life safety nor the audience experience is sacrificed. In the two main theatre (‘Meet the Komodo’ and ‘Earth Theatre’) we designed displacement ventilation to minimise air-movement from interfering with the fog effects.
What was your team’s highlight of the project?
Knowing that our work is helping to educate about the natural world and encouraging people to take ownership of it for future generations.
Why did you enter the SBID International Design Awards?
The end-result has far exceeded our own expectations and this is testament to the collaborative approach by all involved to deliver what is a highly complex and technical project. Therefore, we wanted to enter to reiterate how proud we are of our team who continue to commit to Bluehaus Group and to build awareness of this success on an international scale.
Questions answered by Emily Wong, Technical Design Manager at Bluehaus Group.
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If you missed last week's Project of the Week with DAR Design's bold, equine themed luxury residential project in Egypt. click here to see more
Entries were received, finalists deliberated and the winners of the SBID International Design Awards 2017 have been announced! Click here to see the full list.
We hope you feel inspired! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
Bluehaus Group| SBID International Design Awards 2018
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire series features the vibrant and enlivening luxury apartment in New Cairo which successfully integrates home automation technology with a sophisticated, contemporary design. We spoke to Eng. Mohamed El Abagy, The CEO & Co-founder of DAR Designs about this truly refreshing residential apartment design.
This luxury apartment in Egypt successfully integrates home automation technology with a sophisticated, modern design. Seeking to create harmony between the traditional and contemporary, the designer has given the apartment a high-end, luxury look while maintaining a connection with Arab culture through the display of local crafts throughout the interior. This residence also caters to the client’s active social lifestyle through an open plan space which includes the kitchen, guest living room, and dining room, all designed as one zone. To give the client privacy, the private area was also designed with its own exclusive family living room located between two bedrooms. The apartment also takes a huge step forward in terms of sustainability and energy efficiency, with its advanced home automation system designed to automatically shut off lighting and air conditioning when the occupants leave the room.
Company: DAR Designs
Project: Parkview Residence
Project Location: Cairo, Egypt
The client for this particular project is a young, open minded businessman who was obsessed with Arabian horses and enamoured with the yellow colour.
The clients passion for horses inspired us to play on this particular theme throughout our design process. The main design concept was to create a modern design with an Arabian touch to reflect his interests and personality beautifully.
The main challenge during this project was achieving optimum space management for all required spaces in this small area whilst preserving the need for privacy for residents during the design process. Creating the perfect mix of contemporary style blended with Arabian culture was also challenge as it was somewhat difficult to create without distortion.
The team's goal was to integrate home automation technology with a sophisticated, modern design. Seeking to create harmony between the traditional and contemporary, with a high-end, luxury look while maintaining a connection with Arab culture through the accessories whilst promoting sustainability and energy efficiency.
The SBID International Design Awards is a very reputable & honourable organisation and being celebrated as winners in our category is very beneficial and adding credibility and value to our leading Middle Eastern firm.
Questions answered by Eng. Mohamed El Abagy, CEO & Co-founder of DAR Designs
If you missed last week's Project of the Week with the truly incredible renovations of a Category A Listed building in the heart of Glasgow’s Park District by Bernard Interiors. click here to see more
DAR Designs | SBID International Design Awards 2018
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire series features the incredible renovations of a Category A Listed building in the heart of Glasgow’s Park District by Bernard Interiors.
This imposing five-storey sandstone townhouse, situated in one of Glasgow’s most sought after areas, majestically overlooks Kelvingrove Park with fantastic views across the city. The townhouse had lain derelict for over 5 years, once used as office space throughout the 90’s, and had fallen into disrepair. Bernard Interiors were challenged to create a contemporary design whilst also utilising the historic and period features which run throughout the building. Bernard Interiors worked alongside the developer for three years to win planning permission to convert the building back to a residential dwelling. The client brief was to create a stylish and inviting family home with a luxurious finish and an abundance of high-end details to ensure ultimate “wow factor.”
Company: Bernard Interiors
Project: Park Terrace
Project Location: Glasgow, United Kingdom
What was the client’s brief?
Bernard Interiors were challenged to create a design, which was contemporary yet sympathetic to the historic and period features which run throughout the building. The client brief was to transform a 9700 sq ft Grade A listed, derelict office building into a stylish, chic and inviting family home with a luxurious finish and an abundance of “wow factor” details.
Glamorous 70’s influences were high on the clients as agenda, and can be seen throughout the home with interesting touches such as chaise lounge fringed in silk, large scale lamps and photography by Slim Aarons.
Due to the scale and complexity of the Grade A Listed building, maintaining and restoring period features including oversized bespoke cornicing, ceiling roses and original fireplaces in line with a contemporary edge proved challenging
The team enjoyed working closely with the developer to commission a bespoke chandelier designed by George Singer. The chandelier cascades from the top of the stairwell to the ground floor, and features thousands of smoked glass Swarovski crystals creating maximum impact as soon as you enter the home, greatly enhancing the effect of the imposing staircase.
It is an internationally recognised award and we felt that our challenging project Park Terrace warranted recognition from this prestigious award body.
Questions answered by Jennifer Bernard, Managing Director at Bernard Interiors.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week with the truly majestic 'Whale Bar' designed by WOW Architects click here to see more
Bernard Interiors | SBID International Design Awards 2018
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire series features the breath-taking 'Whale Bar' designed by WOW Architects. We spoke to Wong Chiu Man (Founder and Managing Director) of WOW Architects about this extraordinary project, our overall winner of the SBID Awards 2017.
The Whale Bar’s iconic shape was inspired by the majestic whale shark. This imaginative yet elegant retreat is elevated by light oak interiors and a softly lit neutral palette. The use of fish scale inspired timber shingles around the kitchen and smooth iridescent stucco inside the “body” of the whale emphasises the marine iconography that is unmistakable. The team endeavoured to make as many aspects of the project as sustainable as possible, up-cycling and recycling wherever appropriate, focusing their attentions on highlighting the fragility of the surrounding environment within their design in the hope that this would motivate guests to contemplate the creation of a responsible future for the next generations.
Company: WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design
Project: THE WHALE BAR
Project Location: St Regis Resort Vommuli Island, Maldives
The clients desire was to create a resort destination that would standout from the existing resorts in the Maldives and be commercially successful. After much research and discussion, the components of the brief were decided upon, the master plan designed and construction started. Upon appointing the St Regis as the operator, the brief was evolved further and refined, and improvements were made to fully achieve the brand’s potential, and the clients vision for a leading resort hotel.
After visiting many resorts in the Maldives, we understood the evolution of resort design throughout the last twenty years. The latest and best resorts had a strong ecological aspect but still stayed within the realm of design inspirations from the human perspective. We saw an opportunity to create even more eco awareness and draw inspirations directly from nature itself, and to pointedly draw attention through our design to the fragility of atoll and marine habitats in particular. Thus, the design evolved through our inspirations and observations on atoll ecology and marine biology. We hope that the design will uplift and motivate our guests in creating a responsible future for the next generations.
Building sensitively with minimal waste and consideration for protecting the islands ecology was by far the biggest challenge. Efficiency and speed minimises waste and the logistic and carbon footprint on the Maldives and resources we needed. Despite using all forms of prefabrication and eco friendly materials, up-cycling and recycling, the longer the construction time is, the larger the waste footprint. Our challenge on a daily basis was to find affordable and intelligent solutions to minimise the waste while achieving a high standard of construction and finish.
We had many highlights over 4 years. From the beauty of the sunsets to the drama of the storms, and the pleasure of seeing and preserving the island and the marine life around us.
However, an unexpected reward was how we were able to connect with the villagers from the neighbouring islands by offering them employment and gaining their trust and respect. They were instrumental in minimising waste because they up-cycled many leftover building materials and packaging materials into their villages and our project actually improved the villagers lives. This was truly sustainability in practice.
We hoped to gain recognition for a project very close to our hearts and wished that by winning an SBID award, we could not only celebrate the design, but tell the meaningful stories that made the design possible. For receiving the overall winners award, we are extremely proud and grateful, but also humbled by the quality of the other winners.
Questions answered by Wong Chiu Man (Founder and Managing Director) WOW Architects.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week with Orkun Indere's winter wonderland 'Log House Extension' click here to see more
WOW Architects | SBID International Design Awards 2017
2018 copyright WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire series features the magical 'Log House Extension' by Orkun Indere Interiors. Located in Kazan, this project features all the seasonal cheer you'd expect from a stunning 'chalet' in the wintertime. Decked with Christmas decorations and high end interiors, this project is the epitome of festive opulence.
The extension was created to expand on this family home to meet the families growing needs. Conventional log house patterns around the location and separate building blocks were designed to emphasise the warm & cosy “chalet” feeling. Every single-functioning building block is connected by hallways. All the new buildings are made of timber and constructed with special joinery techniques which forgo the use of screws and bolts. The new main space is to be used as a living room, while also functioning as a flamboyant area to welcome guests. In contrast to the traditional log house aesthetic this area has a very high ceiling profile.
SBID had the opportunity to speak with Orkun Indere, Founder & Designer of Orkun Indere Interiors about this magical project.
Company: Orkun Indere Interiors
Project: Log House Extension
Project Location: Kazan, Russian Federation
The idea of adding an extension started with the need for more space. The existing building didn't meet the client’s needs as the whole family (of five) was about to move into the house. The existing building was quite small in relation to its mass. The vernacular architecture of the district which consisted of highly inclined roofing was diminishing the beneficial use of interior areas.
With a new life beginning, the client required a bigger en-suite bedroom, three rooms, one for each child, a bigger area for the walk in closet, a proper entrance to the building (the building entrance was not suitable due to its mass and the connection to the living room was not suitable for the guests), a proper dining room and a stunning reception room. We decided to extend the existing building, adding a new area to be connected to the previous. After this change the whole complex would be seen as one chain of buildings.
The design emphasises every single room as a building block thus maximising the perception of space in every room. The joint points of short hallways which connect the buildings together, give an extra spacious feeling to every new room you step into.
The new layout also affected the existing building as a part of the new chain. After resolving the facilities of dining room, reception room and entrance hall in the new extended blocks, the existing building then turned out to be the intimate and most private part for the family. The new blocks were for welcoming the guests, entertaining and organising special events for celebrations so that the existing building could be used for the private, everyday life of the family.
The toughest hurdle was to connect the two existing buildings (the main house and barbecue house) and constructing new buildings in between them, so that the position, angle and distance between existing buildings was a big reference for the shape of the final design. Firstly we positioned the new reception room building with an area of 9 x 8 metres, we had to connect them one by one to the existing building. There planned three main blocks approaching to the existing house; reception room, entrance space and joint block which includes the staircase around a preserved tree existing on the land. We chose the side façade of the existing building (the kitchen façade also including an exit to the land) for the joint point of new blocks.
The plan layout and shape of each single block, derived from the positions of the buildings as came out of the joint angles. As many different blocks had to join each other properly we wanted to use the biggest block (reception room) as the conjunction unit, so the first idea was to design it in an octagonal shape to use some façades to connect to other blocks.
For this project there were a variety of of highlights. One of my favourite aspects of this project includes the height of the rooftop of the main building block used as the living room, it was 8,5 meters high inside the building, supported with a mesh of beams to keep the huge block stable. Stunning!
Another highlight was the preservation of an existing tree so at the time of snow in winter you can have a well snowed tree inside the house right in the middle of the staircase.
SBID is an internationally known professional body registered in the UK to accredit professionals in interior design, to be accredited by SBID is a great opportunity to spread our design approach and projects to an international platform. That’s why I wanted to enter and be chosen by SBID.
Questions answered by Orkun Indere, Founder & Designer of Orkun Indere Interiors.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week with HBA's outstanding Ultima click here to see more
Orkun Indere Interiors | SBID International Design Awards 2017
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire series features Ultima a spectacular luxury clubhouse that uses decadent lines and curves inspired by it's hillside location overlooking a remarkable view of the famous Victoria Harbour.
The designers were tasked with imagining a clubhouse for a leading local developer as part of a package that also included standard provisions for lift lobbies, bathroom and kitchens in the six tower complex and adjacent houses. The clubhouse, a three storey, 3,995 square metre space, is situated in the podium below the towers. The programme encompassed front of house areas including a lobby, fitness centre, spa, indoor ball court, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, library, bar, billiards room, private dining rooms and all supporting back of house areas. The clubhouse’s position on a hill in southeast Kowloon commands unobstructed views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong island beyond.
SBID had the opportunity to speak with Mathew Lui, Partner of Hirsch Bedner Associates Hong Kong about this exceptional project.
Company: HBA
Project: Ultima
Project Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong
The developer already had a flagship residential property on Hong Kong Island, and intended for this development to be its flagship Kowloon residence. The lead designer, who grew up visiting the site when it was formerly a low rise hill village, was intimately familiar with its orientation and panoramic views. Unusually for a project of this calibre, the developer had no brief for the designer; instead, architectural renderings were provided and the designer had to come up with the programme based on their experience with residential developments. As the building’s architecture included curves and aerodynamic-like details, the yacht concept became all the more relevant to the design scheme.
As the designer was also responsible for the property’s standard provisions, and the clubhouse's targeted market would be high net worth individuals, whose children may be attending boarding school overseas. The children’s play area was therefore reduced; instead, an indoor ball court for teens returning for holidays was designed with vibrant colours. Hip hop culture was kept in mind to appeal to that particular demographic. The F&B components were styled to flow between pre-dining lounges, bars and private rooms, allowing for a whole evening of entertainment which is an extension of hosting parties at home. The designer felt that residents would regard health and wellness as a priority, and ample square footage was devoted to a well-equipped gym and two pools along with a spa, which ladies could enjoy alone, with friends or as a group.
In response to the site, the theme tying together the different aspects of the programme was inspired by luxury yachts and the former colony’s English roots. It took advantage of the double height volume on the ground floor by creating a central “crown-like” structure embellished with crisscrossed chrome lattice upon glass back-lit for an incandescent glow. A circular planned library below offers plush seating, while upstairs is dominated by an onyx back-lit whiskey bar. Each subsequent area was given its own distinct identity to appeal to different target demographic and user types. For example, the billiards room was designed as a “gentleman’s retreat” and references the glamour of James Bond films, with mirrored panelling that in theory could hide a sophisticated arsenal of pool cues. Overall, the clubhouse’s design reflects an aspirational lifestyle akin to a five star hotel.
As the designer developed the overall programme as well as the interior design, a major challenge was determining the hierarchy of spaces. In order to maximise efficiency and eventual usage, each area had to be proportional to the overall project size and scope. It was the first project that this designer was responsible for an entire residential complex, and another challenge was to consider a script for how to sell the residences through the interiors. The clubhouse had to be imbued with the look and feel of a value added component to the unit’s selling price, while also reflecting the developer’s brand as a stylish home builder that employs top materials and fine craftsmanship. An intricate network of perceived value with hardware and software alongside an enviable address had to be conveyed through the interior design.
Many new residential developments in Hong Kong offer on-site clubhouses with nondescript design and a standard programme. The results are that some rooms are under-utilised, while others are booked solid throughout the year. With this project, the designer came up with the programme with different intended users in mind. The goal was to ensure that every corner of the clubhouse was functional and appealing to the property owners’ various family members. Each area has its own personality while at the same time there is a logical, efficient progression of spaces.
Using curved lines, extensive use of wood such as Ziricote, textured glass, tinted mirrors, and stone contributed to the nautical aesthetic that form the core of the clubhouse’s design. Yet a novel approach was to embellish that core with self-contained areas that reference the energy of a Nike shop for the ball court, the tongue-in-cheek reference of a Double Zero film for the billiards room, and a Gucci café chic for the VIP dining rooms. Each special area with its own take on a concept helps provide a more immersive experience for the user, underscoring memorable story-lines for the spaces. The clubhouse’s strong narrative concepts led to its eventual design solution.
Winning an SBID International Design Award is truly a high achievement; the Awards are assessed by a technical panel, a public vote and a panel of leading industry experts, who look for outstanding examples of technical content and aesthetic creativity. It is a great acknowledgment of hard work and expertise.
Questions answered by Mathew Lui, Partner of Hirsch Bedner Associates Hong Kong.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week with the artful restaurant Alkimia click here to see more
HBA | SBID International Design Awards 2017
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire series features the re-development of DeVere Tortworth Court Hotel, a historic Gothic mansion which is located within a scenic parkland on the Cotswold Edge, beside the Severn Valley and close to Bristol.
Tortworth Court is an elegant and sophisticated hotel surrounded by enchanting scenery located just outside of Bristol and dating back to the 11th Century. Over the past 12 months the hotel has undergone a lavish refurbishment as part of the DeVere property refurbishment programme. Virtual Resolution has been working alongside DeVerve and its design/development teams to visualise the proposals for Tortworth Court, Wokefield Estate, Latimer Estate and Wotton House. This project was particularly challenging due to the listed nature of parts of the building, the complex ceilings, bookcases and fireplaces required detailed modelling. The CGI’s & 360-degree views created within 3Ds Max, Vray & Photoshop have been used not only to inform guests of the re-development, but also assist the design team and management specify fittings and fixtures that would enhance this beautiful building.
SBID had the opportunity to speak with Tim Power, Director of Virtual Resolution about this outstanding CGI & Visualisation project.
Company: Virtual Resolution
Project: DeVere Tortworth Court Hotel
Project Location: Britsol, United Kingdom
We have worked on a wide range of projects with the Principal Hotel group to support a major UK wide refurbishment programme. Our CGIs and 360 degree views have helped bring to life proposed multi-million pound refurbishments at a number of their properties.
For this project DeVere’s design and development team partnered with us to visualise their proposals to transform Tortworth Court in the Cotswolds. Each image was to be used as part of the design, sign off and public engagement process and therefore had to accurately portray the internal and external design teams’ aspirations.
Each view clearly visualised the proposed fittings and fixtures as well as showcasing exactly how each detail integrated with the existing buildings and complemented the features that would be retained. We were commissioned to create stunning visuals that accurately represented the design proposals for the mansion house, including its guest suites, bathrooms, main bar, function rooms, meeting rooms and exceptional Victorian conservatory, The Orangery.
What inspired the design of the project?
The inspiration for this tasteful refurbishment was to maximise the essence of a grand English Country Estate, rooted in tradition but with a contemporary and eclectic approach. The space would reflect the grand traditions of Great Britain and the country manor house, with a modern feel that combined comfort and style with grace and character.
Tortworth Court is a Grade II listed Victorian mansion and the complex ceilings, bookcases and fireplaces required detailed modelling. The building has some stunning features and our challenge was to portray these accurately and to scale in each of our visualisations, whilst showing how the contemporary design elements would work seamlessly with these assets to create an impressive overall impact.
The design team at DeVere Hotels had truly great vision and it was a real privilege to work alongside them to bring their ideas to life. The whole Virtual Resolution team found this an inspiring project to work on and we enjoyed playing our part in creating a series of great images which have now been turned into reality.
We do some fantastic work that regularly pushes boundaries and exceeds client expectations. We rarely shout about it but in the case of Tortworth Court we felt the project was a perfect example of how CGI and visualisation can be used effectively to create a more experiential approach to marketing and interior design.
Questions answered by Tim Power, Director at Virtual Resolution.
Virtual Resolution | SBID International Design Awards 2017
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire series features Alkimia, an artfully abstract restaurant located within the heart of Barcelona.
Alkimia is located on the main floor of a modernist building (dating back to 1864) which had previously been left unoccupied for 40 years. The project design was carried out taking into consideration two main elements: the pre-existing architectural context (including its old patina & typology) and the specific gastronomic offer of the Michelin-starred restaurant Alkimia (the menu is 80% fish). The designers wanted to establish a meaningful relationship between the architectural context & the new design. Safeguarding the existing architectural context of the building was paramount. Generating a sensory path where customers are indulged by flavours, fragrances, and all sorts of perceptions were also an vital part of the Alkimia experience.
The restaurant has been conceived as a continuous scenography fostering a seamless sensory experience. The different parts of this scenography feature ocean inspired skins, art installations & custom-made furniture which establish a unique relationship with the surrounding space. Nothing is forever, everything is bespoke. In order to preserve the existing architecture, neither structural interventions nor permanent transformation of the building were proposed. Even the vintage patina on the walls has been kept. Overall, the project is based on a dialogue between digital fabrication and craftsmanship.
SBID had the opportunity to speak with Carmelo Zappulla, PHd Architect with External Reference.
Company: External Reference and Chu Uroz
Project: Alkimia
Project Location: Barcelona, Spain.
The restaurant is located in the centre of Barcelona, on the main floor of a modernist building (dating back to 1864) left unoccupied for 40 years. The project design has been carried out taking into consideration two elements: the pre-existing architectural context (including its old patina and typology) and the specific gastronomic offer of the Michelin-starred restaurant Alkimia (which is 80% based on fish).
1 - The relationship between old and new, digital and artisan.
The project was conceived as a series of physical interventions, or artistic installations that work as mobile or ephemeral devices in dialogue with the old apartment. These elements are the ‘fish spine’ which generates a path that bring you from the reception to the dining rooms and which separates the Unplugged from the formal area.
2. The ‘Alkimia Lab’ is making a new interpretation of the nobiliary entrance of the apartment.
3. The winery, the gallery, the sofa, all the elements are contemporary, new filters that allow you to see the old space and patina.
All these elements are designed using cutting edges parametric software. The fabrication is created through a digital fabrication process, artisanal knowledge and hard work. For example the mold of the AURA chair is 3D printed however its production is completely traditional: cast aluminium, hand welding and polishing, upholstery…
4. The Jordi Vila’s Cousin and his vision of mixing together traditional ingredients with new techniques like an alchemist. From this, the name Alkimia.
To design all the custom made furniture, components and manage and instruct manufacturers who had never completed something as challenging.
Because it is a very prestigious award.
Questions answered by Carmelo Zappulla, PHd Architect at External Reference.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week with the historic York Theatre Royal click here to see more
External Reference| SBID International Design Awards 2017
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire series features the grand refurbishment of the historic York Theatre Royal completed by De Matos Ryan.
York Theatre Royal received a significant re-development by De Matos Ryan in 2016, dramatically transforming the theatre’s spaces and visitor experience. The theatre has occupied the site since 1744 and has since under gone several alterations over the years, including the construction of a new foyer, a vaulted concrete pavilion built alongside the original building by Patrick Gwynne in 1967. The redevelopment of the Grade II* listed building unlocks the full potential of a complex site that had developed incrementally over 270 years. It has created additional space the theatre urgently needed in order to appeal to and engage a wider community, bring more people into the building and create the opportunity to increase revenue, enabling it to be more financially resilient in the future.
Company: De Matos Ryan
Project: York Theatre Royal
Project Location: York, England.
York Theatre Royal was founded in 1744 and is one of the UK’s oldest producing theatres, serving audiences of all ages and welcoming over 200,000 visitors each year.
The buildings are Grade II* listed and a wonderful patchwork of periods starting with the Georgians and culminating in 1968 with a Patrick Gwynne Modernist glass and concrete vaulted foyer extension.
The project needed to unlock the full potential of a complex Grade II* listed site that had been developed incrementally over 270 years with the aim to engage a wider community, bring more people into the building, ensuring increased revenue, enabling York Theatre Royal to be more financially resilient in the future.
We focused on three fundamental actions. Firstly, to improve the customer experience by creating the conditions for a better welcome, improved access and enhancing the audience experience in the main auditorium by increasing the rake of the seating to improve sight lines.
Secondly, to create the context for a sustainable business by making a more commercial front of house, but also, by making efficiency savings through backstage technical and storage upgrades, there was an aspiration to reduce operational costs and improve safety.
Thirdly, to improve the scope for creative output by creating the conditions for a wider scope of artistic possibilities by expanding the potential of the staging and improving acoustic separation between the main spaces in the theatre.
We applied the '7 lenses', a strategy we have developed at De Matos Ryan to scrutinise the benefit of every intervention and make a judgement about what to prioritise.
All aspects of the building - the front of house and auditorium - have been improved with a new contemporary language that binds all periods together without stifling them, bringing a sense of cohesion to the whole site. The most demonstrable changes are within the Front of House spaces with the glazing of the Victorian colonnade. Occupied by the café it gives an animated face to the street akin to a storefront.
The toughest hurdle was the discovery of archaeology below the stalls and new foyer that was of greater significance than previously anticipated. This added to an already tight construction programme as more time was required to properly record the findings. The Georgians had built their theatre on top of the foundations of the 13th century medieval Hospital of St Peters. From extensive archive research, we had overlaid the plans of each historic period in order to understand how the theatre had evolved and, as such, we knew where the medieval column bases would be if we dug down. What we had not anticipated is that the Georgians had left this ground absolutely intact. The ability to sift through the layers of fine deposits between these columns and walls, over such a large city centre area gave the community a unique insight into their past.
We entered the project in the category of Public Space Design because the project demonstrates successfully how the public sector should be operating under increasing financial constraints. The public sector needs to review and upgrade its assets and capital investment architectural interventions need to be considered more carefully through the lenses of resilience and sustainability. Our careful and strategic upgrade of York Theatre Royal has created a more welcoming space, which is used by all members of the community – not just theatre goers - at all times of the day. It demonstrates how culture can operate as an intersection for people to meet and help to cement a community and develop a strong sense of place in our increasingly homogeneous cities.
Questions answered by Angus Morrogh Ryan, Director of De Matos Ryan.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week with the opulent Cumberland Art Gallery, Hampton Court Palace click here to see more
De Matos Ryan| SBID International Design Awards 2017
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire features the remarkable design of the Cumberland Art Gallery Suite located within the grandeur of Hampton Court Palace.
The Cumberland Art Gallery is a dedicated space that allows visitors to view artworks from the Royal Collection in a stunning setting, which reflects the Palace’s history as a destination for the work of artists such as Holbein, Caravaggio and Gainsborough. The Gallery occupies a newly restored suite of rooms designed by William Kent in the 1730s as private apartments for the Duke of Cumberland.
With architects and designers Purcell, Hoare Lea Lighting developed a scheme to illuminate the paintings while minimising impact on the sensitive building fabric. Hoare Lea CGI combined its expertise in the niche area of accurate lighting visualisation with a mastery of 3D-modelling and physically-based rendering tools, such as 3ds Max and Vray, to create photo-realistic visuals. The resulting visualisations (created without the benefit of CAD drawings) accurately represented the final, relit Gallery and proved highly effective in communicating design ideas and showing how the Gallery would look.
SBID had the opportunity to speak with Simon Dove, Associate at Hoare Lea & Karam Bhamra, Principal CGI Designer of Hoare Lea.
Company: Hoare Lea
Project: Cumberland Art Gallery Suite
Project Location: Hampton Court Palace, England.
The Cumberland Gallery at Hampton Court Palace is a dedicated space for artworks from the Royal Collection. It enables visitors to view the artworks in a stunning gallery setting, which reflects the palace’s history as a destination for the work of artists, such as Holbein, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Bassano and Gainsborough. The Gallery occupies a newly restored suite of rooms designed by the architect William Kent in the 1730s, as private apartments for George II’s son, William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland.
The brief given to architects Purcell and the lighting design team at Hoare Lea was to return the Cumberland Suite as closely as possible to Kent’s original scheme. Historic Royal Palaces wanted to create a dedicated space to highlight some of the works of the Royal Collection, and to use Art as the lens through which to understand the royal history, stories and material culture of the Palace.
With architects and designers Purcell, Hoare Lea developed a scheme to illuminate the paintings, while minimising impact on the sensitive building fabric.
While remaining faithful to the architecture and finishes, the intent was for the environment to have the feel of a gallery, and the lighting immediately announces that this is a different type of space. Picture rails supply power to LED spotlights, which highlight the paintings. Although, Tungsten has often been used in gallery settings, the quality of the white light now produced by LEDs, together with benefits, such as energy efficiency, small size, high-colour rendering of 95+, warm colour temperature, ease of dimming and the lack of ultraviolet light created, made LED an ideal choice.
The look of each fitting was carefully considered to ensure the scheme complemented the space during the day, as well as enhancing it at night. These fittings, developed in favour of the traditional linear picture lights usually specified in heritage buildings, give a contemporary elegance to the rooms.
To incorporate flexibility, achieve the precise lux levels required, and create the desired visual impression, individual dimming control of every fitting was important. Simon Dove, Associate, Hoare Lea explains: ‘It was a key requirement to dim each luminaire from within the space, rather than from a remote location or via a complex lighting control system.”
Understanding the heritage of the space, while creating a contemporary solution, was crucial. Simon Dove explains, ‘Working within a listed building such as Hampton Court inevitably presented challenges, and mock-ups were used to explore the implications of introducing light fittings and to communicate design ideas.’ For lighting designers, one of the biggest challenges is to communicate the lit impression of their proposed designs, and this is where our use of specialist visualisation came in. Hoare Lea CGI combined its expertise in the niche area of accurate lighting visualisation, with a mastery of 3D-modelling and physically-based rendering tools (such as 3ds Max and Vray) to create photo-realistic visuals. The resulting visualisations accurately represented the final, relit Gallery and proved highly effective in communicating design ideas.
In terms of hurdles we faced for the visualisation of the project - there were no existing plans, drawings or models of the Cumberland Suite. A survey was carried out to obtain basic room dimensions, but this did not include any of the bespoke, heavily ornate detailing present in each room. Producing accurate and realistic 3D scenes to give as true a representation as possible of the proposed refurbishment - including new paint, material finishes, furnishings, artworks and of course the lighting scheme – was a challenge.
The only option was to build our 3D models from reference photographs, which we took on-site. Every room has a different feature ceiling design and none of it was simple! Making sure we captured and modelled all the necessary detail was a difficult and time-consuming task – but well worth it when you consider the realism of the final result.
‘The lighting was carefully designed to provide beautiful illumination of the paintings using the latest LED technology, but minimising the impact on the sensitive building fabric. The result greatly enhances the artwork and the room’s architectural features.’
The Historic Royal Palaces team we worked with know the spaces intimately, so for them to commend the accuracy of our visualisations was very satisfying. The positive feedback Hoare Lea received regarding how valuable the visuals proved in communicating the design proposals was unanimous across the team.
We had followed the SBID Awards Visualisation category but had not previously submitted our work. This time we thought we would give it a shot as the Cumberland Suite project seemed very different to the visualisation projects usually entered. We felt its uniqueness and the way the lighting design and visualisation worked together to play such an integral role in the project delivery, deserved recognition.
Winning an SBID International Design Award is a real achievement as the Awards are regarded as one of the highest accolades of interior design excellence.
Commenting on the award win Karam Bhamra of Hoare Lea said: “It means a lot to us to have the quality of our work recognised by the judges. We didn’t think we would win as this is the first time we have entered the SBID Awards and the standard in the category is really high… we are absolutely delighted!”
Questions answered by Simon Dove, Associate, Hoare Lea & Karam Bhamra, Principal CGI Designer, Hoare Lea.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week with InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel's decadent Presidential Suite click here to see more
Hoare Lea| SBID International Design Awards 2017
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